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Richland County, South Carolina
Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 384,504, making it the second-most populous county in South Carolina, behind only Greenville County. The county seat is Columbia, the state capital. Richland County is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of South Carolina was located in Richland County, in the city of Columbia. History Richland County was probably named for its "rich land." The county was formed in 1785 as part of the large Camden District. A small part of Richland later went to Kershaw County (1791). The county seat is Columbia, which is also the state capital. In 1786 the state legislature decided to move the capital from Charleston to a more central location. A site was chosen in Richland County, which is in the geographic center of the state, and a new town was laid out. Richland County’s boundaries were formally incorporated on Dec. 18, 1799. Cotton from the surrounding plantations was shipped through Columbia and later manufactured into textiles there. General William T. Sherman captured Columbia during the Civil War, and his troops burned the town and parts of the county on February 17, 1865. The U. S. Army returned on more friendly terms in 1917, when Fort Jackson was established, which is now the largest and most active Initial Entry Training Center in the U.S. Army. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water. Richland County is situated in the center of South Carolina. Rivers and lakes *Broad River *Congaree River *Lake Murray *Little River *Saluda River *Wateree River Adjacent counties *Fairfield County - north *Kershaw County - northeast *Sumter County - east *Calhoun County - south *Lexington County - west *Newberry County - northwest National protected area * Congaree National Park Demographics |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2015 }} As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 384,504 people, 145,194 households, and 89,357 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 161,725 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 47.3% white, 45.9% black or African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 9.6% were German, 8.6% were English, 7.6% were Irish, and 7.1% were American. Of the 145,194 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.5% were non-families, and 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 32.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,922 and the median income for a family was $61,622. Males had a median income of $42,453 versus $34,012 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,805. About 10.0% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over. Government http://www.richlandonline.com/Government/CountyCouncil/CountyCouncilMembers.aspx Government and infrastructure Richland County is governed by an eleven-member County Council, who hold concurrent four-year terms. Richland County is governed under the Council-Administrator form of government, which is very similar to the Council-Manager form of government. The major difference between the Council Manager and Council Administrator forms of government is the title of the chief executive, being Manager in one and Administrator in the other. In March 2008, the Richland County sheriff department acquired an armored personnel carrier equipped with a .50 caliber machine gun.S.C. Sheriff's Department Armored Vehicle with Belt-Fed Machine Gun This acquisition was criticized by ''Reason'' magazine as "overkill".Sheriff Lott's New Toy by Radley Balko September 1, 2008 The South Carolina Department of Corrections, headquartered in Columbia and in Richland County,"Institutions." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. operates several correctional facilities in Columbia and in Richland County. They include the Broad River Correctional Institution,"Broad River Correctional Institution." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. the Goodman Correctional Institution,"Goodman Correctional Institution." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution,"Graham (Camille Griffin) Correctional Institution." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. "4450 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29210-4096" the Stevenson Correctional Institution,"Stevenson Correctional Institution." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. and the Campbell Pre-Release Center."Campbell Pre-Release Center." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. Graham houses the state's female death row."Graham (Camille Griffin) Correctional Institution." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. "The institution also functions as a major special management unit with the ability to house female death row inmates and county safekeepers." The State of South Carolina execution chamber is located at Broad River. From 1990 to 1997 Broad River housed the state's male death row."Death Row/Capital Punishment." South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. Transportation Public transportation in Richland County is provided by the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority. Attractions *Congaree National Park *Lake Murray *Riverbanks Zoo *Sesquicentennial State Park *South Carolina State Museum *Martin Luther King Park *Richland County Public Library Communities Cities *Cayce (Mostly in Lexington County) *Columbia (county seat) (Partly in Lexington County) *Forest Acres Towns *Arcadia Lakes *Blythewood (Partly in Fairfield County) *Eastover *Irmo (Mostly in Lexington County) Census-designated places *Dentsville *Gadsden *Hopkins *Lake Murray of Richland *St. Andrews *Woodfield Unincorporated communities *Arthurtown *Ballentine *Boyden Arbor *Capitol View *Eau Claire *Harbison *Hilton *Horrell Hill *Killian *Kingville *Leesburg *Lykes *Mountain Brook *Olympia *Pontiac *Riverside *Spring Hill *State Park *Wateree *Windsor Estates *White Rock *Fairwold Acres, South Caroina Regions *Dutch Fork *Fort Jackson *Intown *Lower Richland *Northeast Richland *Upper Richland See also *Birch County, South Carolina, a proposed county that would include existing portions of Richland County *National Register of Historic Places listings in Richland County, South Carolina Notes External links * Official Website Category:Richland County, South Carolina Category:1785 establishments in South Carolina Category:Columbia, South Carolina metropolitan area Category:Settlements established in 1785